Poison
by xxxChaoticHarmonyxxx
Summary: I don't know whether the truth will lead to my freedom, my destruction, or both. Companion to "Sins and an Absolution". Reviews are always welcome.
1. Fear

You know what's scary?

Coming apart at the seams before your very own eyes.

Fear presents itself to you,

And much like pain it _demands_ to be felt.

It grips you much too tightly,

Crushing you from the inside out,

Leaving you choking and gasping for air,

Begging for a release,

For safety,

For comfort,

For security,

For the end to the suffering.

You're at its mercy and only when IT feels like it, does it let you go.

It lets you fall and leaves you to pick yourself up again.

But by the time you've hit the ground,

You're shattered into millions of pieces.

And even if by chance or miracle,

You've managed to put yourself back together,

You don't resemble the person you used to be.

And you fear the person you've become…

* * *

**Author's Comments: **Hands down, this is definitely the shortest chapter I've written in my entire life. However there is a method to my madness.

This story will be significantly shorter than Heartbreakers and Sins and an Absolution plus it'll focus on a pairing that I've seriously wanted to try out for a while that many of you have requested. Before I go any further I want to thank every single one of you for sticking with me throughout all my stories. There were so many times where I wanted to give up (for numerous reasons) and you guys were the ones who inspired me to keep going. Thank you thank you so much!

This story will give several hints to Sins and an Absolution about the future and...a possible sequel :) So while the story won't be long it'll be key to figuring out a lot of the secrets going on in the main story.

As a special treat, all those who review/pm me will get a special sneak peak at "Sins and an Absolution" as well as an excerpt for the following chapter of Poison.

I hope you all enjoy. Take care and thank you all once again for supporting these stories.

-Skye


	2. City Skies

Jasmine stood on the roof of her penthouse apartment, gazing into the sky. Now that it was after one in the morning, the majority of the businesses had shut down and which meant that there was way less light pollution.

She placed one foot on the ledge, hesitating to take another step. She knew what would happen if she got too close.

She chuckled, a smile looking out of place on her tear-streaked face.

Jasmine had already gone over the edge a long time ago.

Despite the cool wind Jasmine's full attention and concern seemed to be on skies up above and the city down below. Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out a single, dying, scarlet red rose. Her bloodshot eyes latched onto the flower and she ran her fingers along the stem, skimming over the thorns oh so carefully.

"You can't leave me," she breathed, eyes watering. "You can't do this to me..."

Jasmine closed her eyes, picturing the one most precious to her in the entire world as well as going over the meaning of a deep red rose. She inhaled and fully stepped onto the ledge at this time, making sure that all her weight was shifted to her heels. Jasmine had never experienced an adrenaline rush like this one before. Literally, she was on the edge and her next dictated her future…or lack thereof.

She felt a slight stinging sensation and glanced down at her fingers. Because she had been carelessly stroking the stem, she hadn't realized until now that she had pricked her index and middle fingers on thorns, causing them to bleed.

"Valentine!"

Jasmine's eyes hardened. She instantly recognized this voice as her partner's.

His footsteps were slow and cautious. Noctis was concerned that if he were to startle her Jasmine would take another step. "What are you doing?" Noctis asked quietly.

Jasmine inhaled and cracked her neck loudly.

"This is the first time…" she began distantly, "that I've ever actually had control of my life." Jasmine paused, feeling her pulse quicken as her eyes shifted to the ground below. "It feels amazing."

Noctis stopped before he got too close. One more step and she'd be gone forever.

"He's recovering in the hospital now," Noctis assured her. "Everything is going to be fine."

"No it won't!" Jasmine's scream was shrill and startling, almost exactly as it was when she was in Tifa's house and had just finished looking over her parents' bodies. "I can't fix things to go back to how they used to be! I've ruined their lives!"

Noctis was at a loss. He'd never dealt with this sort of thing before. Sure he'd heard talk of other members of SOLDIER contemplating _this_, but he'd never seen it up close and personal, so close to home…

"But you and I both know that you aren't willing to go through with this," Noctis challenged, deciding to take a chance to see if the Jasmine he knew was still there.

She huffed in annoyance.

"Think about it, you're not looking for an escape," Noctis continued to step forward as quietly as possible so that he wouldn't startle the girl. "You're looking for a chance to be saved."

Jasmine gritted her teeth. "How can _I _be saved out of everyone? I don't deserve it!"

Noctis held out his hand even though he knew she couldn't see it. "How are you going to be the one to judge if _you _deserve to be saved?"

Jasmine looked over her shoulder then and glared at Noctis, holding the rose close to her heart.

"From what I can see," he started, his face softening, "You're just someone who got caught up in a feud who didn't deserve to be there, who got the short end of the stick. And despite all your problems and impossible odds, you're still doing all you can to protect the ones you love and care about." Noctis took a chance with this one. "Jasmine," he tested, her name sounding foreign even to him, "you're the only member of SOLDIER who has never killed anyone. You don't believe in taking lives, not even your own. If that's not admirable, I don't know what it. I'm not some higher power, but that's a person who deserves every opportunity to pursue happiness. You're still standing which means that you're supposed to be here. Don't waste this opportunity."

Jasmine froze briefly before turning her attention back to the sky. As strange as it was, Vanitas' face flashed through her mind.

She parted her lips.

Everything suddenly became so clear.

Jasmine stood there for at least three minutes, her mind working in overdrive. Finally she looked at the rose and wrapped her hand around the petals, crushing them. She tore the stem off and let it fall to the ground, keeping her fist holding the rose petals tight.

"I just want to be free," her voice was greatly strained and screamed of exhaustion. Noctis' eyes widened though. She did not have that harsh edge that she usually had when she was on assignment with him, or the same cold tone that took place after she discovered her parents' bodies. This voice sounded slightly older, wiser and a lot calmer. Was this another one of her personalities?

"Then fight for it," Noctis said sternly.

Jasmine could feel the tears pouring down her face but for some reason beyond her understanding, she was a great deal calmer, more relaxed, as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulder. Could it be that she was finally realizing the importance of the people placed in her life?

One was the key to her happiness.

One was the key to her sanity.

One was the key to her freedom.

One was the key to the absolution of her sins.

Jasmine held her hand close to her face and when she opened it, blew the petals softly into the wind. Having released them all, she turned around and reached for Noctis' hand.

Perhaps there was a lot more to this thing called life than what was placed before her.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I can't express how sorry I am that this has taken SO long to put out. Literally, my life is almost as complex as Jasmine's (if that's possible to believe).

In any case I want to thank everyone for the reads, faves, alerts and all the reviews. Once again, with every review you guys will get a snippet of the latest chapter of Sins and an Absolution. I want to thank Larissa Gates, Sookdeo, animechick247, LouFF13KH2, OmraxXV, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu, UnwrittenMemory and Sarah K.R. Thank you guys so much for all the support. I hope you all like this little snippet and I'll PM you as soon as I can!


	3. Lost Nights (I)

Sora shook his head and smiled ruefully at his older brother, handing him an ice pack.

"Mom was right," Sora sighed, taking a seat next to him in the nurse's office. Vanitas frowned. He had a dark purple bruise forming under his left eye and his lip was bleeding from one of the corners. "Even though I'm the younger brother I need to keep an eye on you."

Vanitas mumbled something incoherent under his breath. He flinched when the ice pack reached the bruise and pulled it away, amber eyes focused on the item in his hand.

"You're lucky Riku and I were able to pull you off Seifer," Sora noted, shoving his hands in his coat pockets and shivering. Glancing out the window in front of him, Sora realized that it would probably rain soon.

Vanitas huffed, lips pulled into a smirk. "He's lucky that all he got was a concussion."

Riku, who was at the nurse's desk giving brief details on what happened, handed Vanitas a clipboard. It was a set of release forms.

"And you're lucky that Seifer instigated the fight," Riku added tiredly. "You're a junior in college. You could have been expelled."

Vanitas ran a hand through his messy, black, spikey hair. Despite the rather serious topic that Riku brought up, Vanitas seemed as though he couldn't care less.

Sora opened his mouth to speak when the door to the nurse's office slid open. A girl with tanned skin, long black hair in a messy braid with hazel/gold eyes entered, eyes frantic. When she spotted Sora, Riku and Vanitas, she sped over to the trio and stood directly in front of Vanitas.

"What the hell happened to you?" She asked, irritation clear in her voice.

Riku put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back. Vanitas pretended as if the girl didn't exist at first, then gave her half-lidded stares as Riku explained the situation.

"Calm down, Jasmine," Riku urged, "the police picked up Seifer. Vanitas isn't in any trouble."

Jasmine adjusted her glasses. "A fight? Seriously? What are we? Middle school kids?"

Before Riku had the chance to say anything more, Jasmine hurried over to Vanitas and took the seat next to him, snatching the ice pack from his hands. Carefully, she pressed it to the bruised cheek and Vanitas flinched again and backed away.

"Don't touch me," he hissed.

Jasmine snatched his wrist and pulled him closer, this time being more gentle with the ice pack. "Just shut up," she commanded, "your skin's so pale the bruise looks worse than what it probably is. If you want the swelling and discoloration to go away, sit here and keep this right here," Jasmine used one of Vanitas' free hands and put it in place of her own.

She handed Riku the forms and the nurse came over to the group.

"You're free to go, Vanitas," she said with a slight smile.

The dark-haired young man closed his eyes and rose from his seat.

Sora and Riku sighed simultaneously while Jasmine brushed off her skirt.

"He's always getting into it with someone," she commented. Jasmine glanced at Sora. "It's hard to believe you two are brothers…though you look just alike."

Sora exhaled. "Well you know Vanitas," he started, watching his brother stop to speak to a police officer near the front exit, "he doesn't back down to anyone."

Jasmine crossed her arms over her chest, glancing at her watch. It was almost four in the afternoon. She definitely missed her appointment.

"I just don't understand him," she sighed. Jasmine looked to Riku. "I know he doesn't care for Seifer, but what was it this time? I heard that Seifer had a concussion."

Riku grimaced. "Yeah, umm…about that…"

Vanitas walked over to Sora, turning his back on Riku and Jasmine. "Give me my phone," he demanded.

Jasmine stepped between him and Sora, eyes locked with Vanitas'. "What the hell is wrong with you, huh? Are you _trying _to get expelled?"

Vanitas stared at her with annoyance. "What are you doing here anyway?"

She nodded to Riku. "He called me when the campus police broke up the fight. What are you thinking?" Jasmine raised her arms and balled her fists. "Taking on Seifer and two other guys from the frat. Seriously? You've either got a death wish or you just want out of school."

Sora put a hand on Jasmine's shoulders. "Uh, Jasmine…"

She continued anyway. "What if you would have gotten hurt? What if Riku and Sora weren't there?"

Vanitas scoffed. "Seifer has a concussion and the other two are unconscious," he gloated. "Clearly I can take care of myself."

Jasmine's teeth were barred. "You're lucky I know the assistant chancellor and told her that you're a good student, that it wouldn't be fair for you to get suspended or anything."

"I didn't ask for your help," Vanitas' snapped. "Maybe you should stay out of my business and be focused on your own affairs, then _maybe_ I wouldn't be getting into fights." He brushed past Jasmine who was frozen on the spot. Riku attempted to console her but Jasmine shook his hands off her shoulders.

"You can't seriously be blaming me for YOU getting into a fight?" Jasmine snapped, almost horrified at the idea of Vanitas blaming her for his problems.

Vanitas eyed her suspiciously as if he were searching for something.

"Do you remember anything?" He asked simply.

His tone flattening out caught Jasmine and the others off guard. "What are you talking about, Vanitas? Did you get hit in the head or something?"

Vanitas' blazing eyes narrowed into slits. "Nothing at all?"

Jasmine's face was blank.

He rolled his eyes and tossed the ice pack into a nearby trash can. "Whatever." Vanitas dashed out of the nurse's office with Sora running after him while Riku stayed behind with Jasmine who was fuming.

"He's such an asshole!" She shouted angrily. "I don't know why I'm friends with him."

Riku offered her a smile in attempt to calm her down. "Vanitas is...tricky. He and Sora are polar opposites."

Jasmine scoffed. "Tell me something we don't know."

Riku started naming off all their differences. "Sora is a carefree, calm, goofy kid. Way smarter than he lets on too..." He noted.

Jasmine then added her own list of adjectives for Vanitas. "His older brother is an egotistical, smartass who lacks basic people skills. He thinks he can get away with anything and treats people like crap! Plus he's for a big ego! I still think that Vanitas is from another family. Why can't he be nicer?"

Riku sighed. "I'm sure he's got his reasons, Jasmine. Maybe you should talk to him later."

The two walked out of the building and into the parking lot. It was starting to rain outside and so the pair ran to Jasmine's car.

"Do you want a ride home?" She asked Riku as be held open the door for her.

Riku glanced up at the sky. "Finals are in a few weeks. I don't think I need to catch cold again."

Jasmine laughed and held open the door for Riku as he hopped in. She drove off down the street, completely unaware of the eyes that had been glued to her from the moment she stepped out of the medical center until she drove off.

* * *

**Author's Note: **This chapter is going to be split into three parts. I thought it would be nice to show what Vanitas would be like if he wasn't so...insane haha. As always I will update and send out the PMs of new chapter and new story snippets. I haven't sent out the PMs for chapter 25 of Sins and an Absolution because...I'm working on a brand new story! Not only will reviews of the last chapter and this chapter get a look into chapter 25, but they will also get an excerpt from the first chapter of my new story "Player's Club".

I want to thank the people who read, faved, alerted, followed and reviewed (**animechick247, hopefuldreamer1991, Sarah K.R., Sookdeo **and **Sayonara Yasashii Akumu**). Thanks guys. Please tell me what you think and I'll get all the PMs out tonight and tomorrow. Take care everyone and thanks once again for the support!

Side note: I will continue on this site for a little while longer as long as the Heartbreakers series is still running so I'm not leaving! Plus there's a poll on my profile page and I REALLY need you guys' input. Only takes a few seconds. Please and thank you!


	4. Lost Nights (II)

Vanitas sighed and removed his jacket, tossing it on the floor of the entryway to his apartment on campus. His mother had mentioned that he should live with his younger brother, but after over twenty long years with Sora, he wanted his own space.

Once Vanitas was settled and turned on the television in his living room, he plopped down on the couch with a towel draped around his shoulders.

As he mindlessly skimmed through the channels, Vanitas felt his phone vibrate and snatched it off the table. Upon reading the caller id he swore.

It was Riku.

Vanitas answered the phone curtly. "Yeah? What is it?"

Riku sighed on the other end of the line. "Well that's no way to talk to someone who saved you from expulsion and possibly getting arrested."

"Riku, what do you want? I'm not in the mood," Vanitas said sharply.

Riku remained calm despite Vanitas' rudeness. Then again, he was used to it by now. "When are you _ever_ in the mood?" After a brief period of silence, Riku continued. "I know what happened last night."

Vanitas turned down the volume on the television and licked his lips. Despite how calm he appeared on the outside, Vanitas was most definitely uneasy. "You've got to be a little bit clearer. I don't have time for games."

"As in...I know what Seifer tried to do to Jasmine last night."

Vanitas stood up and began pacing the apartment, remaining silent while Riku spoke.

"I should have been there instead of going off on some date." Riku sounded completely disappointed in myself. Vanitas hadn't heard Riku talk like that ever in all the years that he had known him. "Seifer is known for being a creep but I didn't think it was _that_ bad."

Vanitas leaned against the refrigerator door. "Well now you know."

"I'm going to try and get Jasmine to press charges," Riku announced. "She needs to handle this as soon as possible so that way that asshole can't get away with what he tried to do."

The dark-haired junior began pacing again, stopping in his living room when he caught sight of the black fabric draped along the edge of the couch. Vanitas picked it up. It was a black dress.

"So does she know what happened?" Vanitas asked distantly, walking to his bedroom and setting it on the edge of his tidy, spacious bed.

Riku confirmed this. "She's furious and I don't blame her. However…"

Vanitas froze. He had an idea of where this was going.

"I am a little concerned to be honest. What happened with you guys when you took her back to your place last night?"

Vanitas let out a sigh of frustration and stared at his bed.

_He caught a glimpse of her then in her most fragile, raw state. She curled her body into his bedsheets, pulling them tightly to her chest. She held the blanket to her face while tears streamed from her eyes like a fountain, smearing her once-perfect black eye makeup. _

"I didn't hurt her if that's what you're insinuating," Vanitas' voice hardened. "I'm not Seifer."

"No one said that you hurt her," Riku said hastily, trying desperately to not irritate Vanitas. "I just want to know what happened."

Vanitas scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just ask Jasmine?"

Riku sighed. "I think you and I both know that she doesn't remember anything that happened after she left with you last night."

Despite him being able to keep his composure, Vanitas felt his heart sink. 'Of course she wouldn't remember. Why would she anyway?'

"I'm sure it has to do with whatever it was that Seifer's friends used to spike her drink. Sometimes those kinds of drug cause short-term memory loss."

"Well how far back into the night does she remember?" Vanitas asked.

Riku paused. "She says that she remembers you taking care of her but that she doesn't remember much from when she woke up and left this morning."

Vanitas exhaled.

"But I know Jasmine," Riku's tone became more serious. "She seemed a bit…concerned when I started asking what happened. She claims she remembers some things but that she thinks she may have been dreaming part of it."

'A dream, huh?' Vanitas thought.

_He went inside his drawers, trying to find something that could fit Jasmine's small frame. While the girl was tall, she was still very petite. Vanitas rolled his eyes. _

_He wondered how the girl bought clothes on the island. All the girls there were so short compared to her. _

_Perhaps that was another reason why she stood out among them. _

_But then again, there were many reasons why Jasmine had caught Vanitas' eye._

_Vanitas settled on a pair of sweat pants that would probably be baggy on her and a long-sleeved t-shirt. He wasn't overly concerned with how fashionable the clothes may have been. As long as Jasmine was warm and comfortable he didn't care. _

_He set the clothes by the bathroom door and took a seat on his sofa. Vanitas zoned out everything and turned on the television mounted to the wall. _

_Vanitas was surprised when he felt the sofa on the other end sink in. He relaxed though when he realized that it was only Jasmine sitting next to him with her knees pulled into her chest. _

"_You were in there for a while," he noted blandly as he continued watching the news. _

_Jasmine sighed and rested her chin on the top of her knees. It seemed as though she also took a few extra minutes in the bathroom to wipe her smeared makeup. "I tried to make myself throw up. I still don't feel so hot."_

_Vanitas cringed inwardly. Secretly he wanted to go back out and find Seifer himself and beat him to a pulp but he knew that he probably shouldn't leave Jasmine alone right now. _

"_Vanitas," Jasmine called weakly. _

_The dark-haired junior in question cocked his head to the side, trying his best to look disinterested. "Yes?"_

_Jasmine sighed heavily and turned around to face Vanitas while doing so. "I don't remember a lot of what happened other than feeling really sick…but I want to say thank you to you."_

_Trying to hold up appearances, Vanitas casually shrugged his shoulders. "Don't mention it."_

_The girl placed her hands in the pockets of Vanitas' much too baggy sweat pants. "Can't you stop acting so tough for once?"_

_Vanitas cocked an eyebrow up and gave her an incredulous look, turning down the volume on the television. "What was that?"_

_Jasmine raised her head and looked at him. The exhaustion and fatigue was still in her face despite how calm she appeared to be. "You heard me. Stop acting so harsh. You come off like a jerk."_

_With that, Vanitas pressed mute. "That's really nice considering I just took care of you."_

"_I'm just trying to be honest," Jasmine told him, "you're way nicer than you let on. You should show that side of you more often."_

_Vanitas glared at her. "How much did you have to drink before I found you?" He was sure that she'd received some "liquid courage" from whatever she'd consumed at the party and was now speaking freely. While he'd known her to always be blunt with him, she'd never been so…blatantly perceptive with him. _

_Jasmine rolled her eyes and pointed a finger directly in Vanitas' face. "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about! I actually just paid you a complement but you think I'm going crazy," she was quieter with this next part but did not back up, "you need to stop thinking everyone is out to get you or surpass you."_

_Before Vanitas could say another word Jasmine placed a hand on Vanitas' cheeks, prompting him to freeze on the spot. Despite the warmth radiating from her hand to his face, Vanitas felt a chill shake through his body and he jumped a bit, her touch almost electric even. _

_She smiled so softly at him then and stared into his clear, vibrant amber eyes. Jasmine sighed. "You already have everything most people would kill to have. Be thankful for that and lighten up, Vanitas."_

_Just as quickly, Jasmine pulled back causing Vanitas to shudder at the loss of warmth on his face where her hand had been. She stood up slowly and headed to the kitchen. "I'm getting water if that's alright with you."_

_Vanitas was silent, his thoughts still focused on what had just happened. _

"Heads up," Riku finally broke the silence, knowing full well that Vanitas must have been in deep thought, "she'll probably want to talk to you so be prepared."

Vanitas scoffed. "You act like I can't handle _one_ girl."

Riku chuckled, causing Vanitas to frown. "We'll see about that."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry I've been disappearing a lot lately. I just got back to school for another quarter and barely had any time to write. Luckily it seems as though my schedule will be lighter so I should (in theory) have an easier time updating and writing more frequently.

I hope you guys liked this short chapter. The final part to this section will be MUCH longer. Haha it seems as though now no one will accept a possible Vanitas/Jasmine pairing. Looks like I've shot that idea so far out with the main stories. This is a completely unrelated story that has NOTHING to do with Heartbreakers and Sins and an Absolution and the Vanitas there is not the same one here.

I want to thank those who read, faved, alerted the story thus far and thank the reviewers (**Larissa Gates, Sarah K.R, hopefuldreamer1991, animechick247, Sookdeo, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu**, and **UnwrittenMemory**). Thanks so much everyone for all the support!

I'd write more but I need to desperately finish the next chapter of Sins and an Absolution, Players Club as well as get back to work on High School Runaround.


	5. Beginning of the End

Roxas anxiously paced through the living room of the hotel room, glancing every few seconds at the gold wristwatch she gave him several Christmases ago.

It seemed as though even when she was on time, she was never there fast enough for him.

The blond, now tired from pacing for the past thirty minutes sighed heavily and headed for the bar, taking out a bottle of vodka and cranberry juice. Roxas grabbed a class from the cabinet and filled it with ice, shortly after with the juice and alcohol.

Roxas had never been much of a drinker, but he was always on edge whenever _she_ was near.

He hadn't taken a third sip when he heard the door knock three times. Roxas glanced at his watch once again. "8:30," he mumbled, "right on time as always." Roxas threw back the remainder of the drink and ran to the door. He pulled it back and allowed his dark-haired guest to enter.

"Good to see you, Roxas," Jasmine greeted politely. She was dressed in a well-fitted black skirt, red high-collared blouse and black blazer with tall stilettos. When Jasmine walked in, she had a large duffel bag on her arm and threw it on the sofa in the living room.

"Likewise," he replied with a small smile, locking the door behind him.

"We should probably use a different hotel room next time," Jasmine mentioned, heading straight for the bar. She noticed that there was an empty glass sitting next to a bottle of vodka and cranberry juice. "The hotel staff are probably thinking that I'm a prostitute or something."

Roxas removed his jacket and threw it over the chair near the bar. Smiling he ran up behind Jasmine and embraced her from behind. He noticed the familiar engagement ring on her ring finger and smirked. The man who'd given it to her years ago would never have her. "Next time I'll pick the place," Roxas brushed Jasmine's long black hair over to her shoulder and lightly kissed her neck. "And if they gave you problems, why didn't you just say that you were meeting your fiancé or something? The ring would have been proof enough."

Jasmine chuckled lightly and turned to face Roxas, arms latched around him. "Good point," she took Roxas' face in her hands and kissed him forcefully while trying to balance herself in her heels. "I'll have to use that next time."

Roxas wasted no time given that they had so little of it to spend on one another. He tore off her blazer and led Jasmine back to the bedroom, shutting the door and locking the two of them inside where they could continue with their dangerous liaison in peace with no interruptions.

* * *

Jasmine slowly opened her hazy hazel/gold eyes, her breathing heavy and her heart racing. She rolled over on her stomach, pulling up the hotel bedsheet so that it covered her entire bottom half, not really caring whether or not her torso was exposed.

After all there was no need in being modest at this point anyway.

"Just think," Roxas whispered softly. He too like Jasmine was completely naked save for the comforter on the bed covering the entire bottom portion of his body. He leaned to Jasmine and ran his fingers through her hair and held her head in place while stealing a kiss. "If you had stayed with me you would have gotten this on a regular basis – minus the secrecy."

Jasmine couldn't help herself when it came to Roxas. Despite everything they'd been through, she knew that she still had lingering feelings for the blond that she could no longer ignore. Whenever he called, she would respond. Whenever he asked to meet up, she was there without hesitation. Even though she often times put up a front for him and their other friends, Jasmine knew that there was nothing she wouldn't do for Roxas.

"I'm sure life would have been much simpler too," she stated breathlessly after Roxas planted a kiss softly on her jaw line.

Roxas chuckled. It was rare for him or anyone else to see Jasmine slightly flustered. The dazed, lustful look in her eyes coupled with the flush on her face brought him more pleasure than he himself could have even imagined.

This was their routine. The two of them lived separate lives. Her with SOLDIER. He with highly successful publishing company. Jasmine was always away on missions and broke away from the majority of her friends given the dangerous nature of her profession. It was pure luck that the two had managed to cross paths months ago and Roxas seized the opportunity to snatch her when he could. Every other week for the past three – almost four months, Jasmine and Roxas would meet in secret at a hotel of his choosing. They would talk, drink, relax and consummate their forbidden relationship. With Roxas being constantly thrown in the spotlight, Jasmine's dangerous job and their complicated past intertwined with that of their friends', the two had no choice but to hide. Not that either of them seemed to mind. They knew that they couldn't be together but once in a while, it was nice to pretend.

"Are you any closer to finishing that mission you've been working on for years?" Roxas asked innocently.

Jasmine sighed and rolled on her stomach away from Roxas. She ran a hand through her messy hair and pulled her bangs off her face. "I'm so close that I can practically taste it."

Roxas' eyes widened. "You mean…?"

Jasmine nodded and then sat up. She reached over on the floor and lying on the floor next to her skirt was her favorite hand gun. She set it on the nightstand and proceeded to lie back down next to Roxas in bed. "I'm almost free of everything: free of the fighting, free of the hiding, and…almost free of Vanitas."

Roxas smiled. For so many years the elusive, psychotic man had been after the Silva family, eventually leaving Jasmine as the last one still breathing. Vanitas was the reason why their group was so scattered and why there was still so much tension. However, if Jasmine said that she had almost cracked him, it meant that soon, they had the chance to get their lives back together once and for all.

"He almost caught me last time though," she admitted, frustration clear in her voice.

"How so?" Roxas was a bit stunned. Jasmine had always made sure to cover her tracks when it came to dealing with Vanitas.

Jasmine gave a sigh. "He smelled your cologne on my jacket…he knew I'd been with another man."

Roxas' cerulean blue eyes hardened. "You're not sleeping with him, are you?"

Jasmine's facial expression twisted into one of complete disgust. "I wouldn't give him the opportunity. Don't ask me that again."

Roxas let out a sigh of relief. Even though he and Jasmine were not considered exclusive, it still infuriated him to know that she had to be around a man she'd been previously involved with even though he knew full well that she didn't have feelings for him.

"He tried to do some digging into my SOLDIER file. Vanitas is looking for something." Roxas listened closely. "And Vanitas is also scared. He knows that the superior higher than him is planning something big that could jeopardize everything he's ever known." Jasmine smirked. "Too bad he's spending all his time trying to figure out what I'm going to do next though."

"So let me get this straight," Roxas cleared his throat and rested his hands behind his head. "You're hiding from him, but at the same time you're constantly meeting with him. I don't understand. Isn't this the same man who tried to kill you?"

Jasmine rested her chin in the palm of her hand and faced Roxas. "Vanitas isn't going to hurt me. He knows that I know something about his superior and realizes that if I'm dead he won't get what he wants. I'm sure he's aware of the fact that I know this information and it's probably driving him insane."

"So what exactly are you doing when you see him anyway?"

"Not much. Usually our confrontations include him trying to kidnap me and him trying to relay information on why I need to go with him."

Roxas' eyes widened. He figured it out. "Vanitas needs you to stop his superior."

Jasmine's smile grew by several molars. "Exactly. But I'm working on other plans so I really can't afford to be trapped with him for too long. Last time he sent a couple of bodyguards to try and get me," she chuckled, "I feel like he hires stupid guards."

"Oh and why is that?"

"Well," she mused, "stupid guards are only focused on getting pay and they have no interest in learning about Vanitas' plans. It's actually brilliant. Too bad they don't have the basic skills to learn when they've been had until it's too late."

Roxas laughed so hard that his stomach began to ache. So hard in fact that it drew confusion from Jasmine.

"What is so funny?"

"Don't you see?" He asked once he'd been able to breathe again. "We can all go back to the way our lives used to be. We can all have our circle of friends again. No one has to hide from one another. It can all go back to normal."

Jasmine rested her head on Roxas' torso, smiling ruefully at the thought. "Maybe not _completely _normal but things will get better. At least…that's the hope."

Roxas and Jasmine laid there in silence for a while, deciding to just bathe themselves in each other's company. It seemed as though everyone might finally get their happy ending. All it would take was a few more hurdles and fights.

"Did you want to sleep here tonight?" Roxas asked quietly, wrapping and arm protectively around Jasmine's shoulders.

Jasmine closed her eyes. "Yes. But I'll be gone by the time you wake up."

Roxas sighed. It was normal for Jasmine to disappear. However he was used to it. After all she had been in and out of all their lives for so long. "Just be safe."

"I will," she yawned. "You know me."

Roxas scoffed and lightly smacked her shoulder. "You're never safe when it comes to these kinds of things. You're smart, but not safe."

"And I always make it through. I've got too many people I want to come back to when this is all over," she told him quietly, pulling the covers and comforter over their bodies.

"And then you'll stay? For good?"

"Mmhmm," Jasmine mumbled incoherently.

"Promise?" He asked, finding himself falling asleep as well.

"I promise."

* * *

Roxas awoke to find Jasmine gone. He sat up and sighed. 'You'd think I'd be used to this by now,' he thought to himself.

The blond got up and dressed himself, collecting himself so that he could go back to his home. His sister Naminé must be worried. Roxas was fairly sure that Naminé knew he was sneaking around with Jasmine however she never brought it up. One day he would tell her. As the person he cared about most, he owed it to her to not keep secrets.

Roxas left the bedroom and over to the bar. When he sat down on a stool, he saw a handwritten note underneath a bottle of water. When Roxas recognized the handwriting, he smiled and unscrewed the cap from the bottle, drinking as he read the note.

_Roxas,_

_I promise you that it's almost over. However, it has come to my attention that I cannot do this by myself any longer. Axel is doing his best but given his family ties to SOLDIER I need to only use him when necessary. _

_I left my duffel bag with you. I need your help. _

Roxas immediately set down the bottle and hopped off the bar stool, rushing to the living room. Sure enough, the duffel bag was there.

He sat down on the sofa next to it and continued to read the note.

_It may not seem like much, but you hold one of the keys to making things right again. I know you'll protect this secret. Don't let anyone catch you with this. If you do, everything I've ever worked for will be all for naught. _

_In addition, if this fails, then I will surely be dead for sure this time._

Roxas' heart began to race at that line. He reached for the zipper on the bag and finished reading.

_You now have more power than Vanitas. _

_I wish you luck and hope to see you on the other side when I've become a free woman again. _

_Yours,_

_Jasmine_

Roxas' hand began to shake. What was it that Jasmine had left with him? In a really off-handed sort of way, Jasmine had brought Roxas into this. His role? He did not know. But then again Jasmine never left too many details when it came to her plans. She only left enough information to get plans accomplished and for the most part (if not all the time) her plans always panned out.

Tired of the anticipation, Roxas unzipped the bag. It was empty for the most part save for the brand new clothing in the bag. Roxas pulled out many pieces of expensive designer clothing, all of it and every article in his size.

However, Roxas realized that these must have been gifts to fill the bag with when he saw a large cardboard box at the bottom. Without hesitation, Roxas ripped off the top and when he did, his eyes widened in shock.

"This is..."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hey guys! I know that I already updated this story once today but I randomly became inspired and thought that I'd do a more direct hint to the future of Sins and an Absolution instead of all the vague ones. So I ran with this idea I got after updating and just decided, "oh what the heck?"

Excuse the raw nature of this piece. I literally wrote it twenty minutes after I did the previous chapter of this story. Honestly, I thought about making this a lemon but I decided against it at the last moment. Why? One if I were to do a lemon related to this story the first choice would be to do it with Jasmine and Riku (and I'm not sure the timing would be right with those two still hating each others' guts). Two: I'd most definitely have to bump up the rating and I'm really trying to avoid that. Three: I have a sneaky suspicion that I'd suck at writing lemons haha. In any case I hope you all enjoyed it.

I'm currently working on setting up the plot for the third and final story within the Heartbreakers trilogy (haha it sounds funny thinking of it like that) and I want to know what you guys would like to see in it. You can either PM me (quiet as it's kept I actually respond to those a lot faster for some reason) or leave a question in a review and I'll get back to you guys as soon as possible.

On another note the results for all the polls are in! There WILL be a side Jasmine/Vanitas story and there will be a fantasy/war story as well. I'm super excited to get to work on both the stories and if you guys have anything you'd like to see, just PM me and let me know. I'll try to take everyone's ideas into consideration for BOTH stories.

Thanks for reading and take care everyone!


	6. Human Life

Miss Silva walked through the dark and eerie corridors of the castle dungeon at a slow leisurely pace, her pathway lit by candles which gave the place an even more disturbing glow.

Her dark, long ebony locks were wild as usual with her bangs partially covering her animalistic amber eyes that seemed to also glow in the darkness. Her scarlet, kimono-like robe hung loosely on her frame and trailed along the cold, crude stone floors as she made her way to the deepest part of the dungeon with her bare feet sidestepping the broken glass and sharp rocks that lay on the floor.

She gave a slight sigh as she picked up a candle near the cell at the very end of the hallway. Her most recent prisoner was quite a handful even though Miss Silva clearly had the upper hand and dealing with her was always less than pleasant.

Miss Silva opened the door to the cell and set the candle down on a wooden table nearby. When she looked up, she spotted the prisoner leaning against the back wall underneath the barred window staring listlessly at the full moon up above.

"You're never going to escape from here, Jasmine," Miss Silva smirked deviously. "You might want to get that through your head now."

Jasmine slowly turned her head to face her captor and her amber eyes were hard as ice. She, unlike her counterpart, was undeniably in bad shape. Her clothes, which consisted of a blood-stained white nightshirt reaching her knees was tattered and torn while her hair was in complete disarray. Her tanned skin was dirtied while her arms and legs had clear, visible scars and healing wounds all over. Her ankles were shackled and bolted to the wall by long chains that rattled whenever she moved. Still, despite everything, Jasmine still had enough light left in her eyes to shoot Miss Silva a rebellious glare.

"Why did you do this to me?" Jasmine asked weakly with a raspy voice.

Miss Silva slipped her arms into her sleeves and frowned upon her lesser "other". "Because you don't know how to utilize the strengths you have and it's such a waste. I am the only one who knows how to use the body properly to bring real justice about."

The prisoner scoffed. "Justice huh? I don't think that torturing Marluxia was _just_."

Miss Silva rolled her eyes. "If you think that I am going to let your almost-rapist lay a hand on this body and expect to not be punished, then you're weaker than I thought you were…which is quite sad to be honest."

"You're out of control," Jasmine shouted. "This is not the way I want to live my life! You're completely crazy!"

"Ha! Seeing as I'm a part of you it's fair to say that you share the insanity." Miss Silva pointed a finger at Jasmine. "You could have had it all and avoided this had you of let me take control earlier. Look at you: you have no friends, no family left and the one you love is with another woman. You need me whether you like it or not."

Jasmine bit her lip almost to the point of drawing blood. "Riku doesn't need me. I'm sure he's happy with that girl."

"She's just a stand in," Miss Silva rolled her eyes in disgust. "And cut the innocent act, Jasmine. I know you don't really mean that."

Jasmine wrapped her arms around herself and dropped her head to the floor.

Miss Silva then stepped forward until she hovered over Jasmine. When she crouched down with one knee touching the floor, she gently grabbed Jasmine's face and pulled it close to hers. "I know how you _really _feel about Aria…"

Jasmine couldn't find the strength to pull from Miss Silva, her grip and her gaze equally as strong as it was hypnotic.

"I know you hate the idea of them being together," Miss Silva's breath was icy against Jasmine's face, "I know what's going through your mind…"

"Stop it," Jasmine commanded weakly.

Miss Silva took this as an opportunity to finally get Jasmine to understand her feelings and desires. "I know you hate seeing them together. The two of them are probably going out on dates, laughing with one another, joking with one another…" her eyes took on a mischievous glow, "the two of them _loving_ one another…"

Jasmine shut her eyes in an attempt to squeeze back the tears that were coming.

"Can you imagine," Miss Silva's full, scarlet painted lips almost brushed against Jasmine's bare, pale ones, "her lips with molded together with his, her hands touching him in places you can only vaguely remember and the two of them making love with one another well into the night? Doesn't that make you angry? How dare she steal what rightfully belongs to you." She laughed then and held Jasmine's face with her hands. "Isn't it enough to make you sick to your stomach?"

Jasmine's tears began to fall freely now at this time, staining her face and smearing the dirt that was splattered on her cheeks from laying on the ground beneath her.

"That's what I thought," Miss Silva whispered. "But don't you worry. I'll get him back for you and take care of Vanitas once and for all. I promise."

"…you can't kill him," Jasmine choked back, "It's not our place to decide who lives and who dies. We're only human…"

Miss Silva pulled Jasmine's much-too-long bangs out of her face. "You're still so innocent. You're worried about his health and safety when he clearly did not care about your well-being. But don't worry," Miss Silva softly kissed Jasmine's trembling lips lovingly and pulled back, releasing the girl who collapsed to the ground on her side while sobbing. "I'll take care of it. You'll be free again one day."

She rose to her feet and headed for the exit, only to be stopped by one final outburst from the crumpled up girl on the floor.

"Faye will come back for me, you'll see," she whispered.

Miss Silva gave an irritated sigh. She hated hearing Jasmine whine and moan about her other "other" Faye.

"I think you need to give up chasing the ghosts of your pasts and realize that you need me now more than ever. She can't do even a fraction of the things I can do." She grabbed the door and exited the room, leaving it cracked and peeking her head in. "Goodbye Jasmine," she called softly as she blew out the candle. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hello everyone! Sorry for the late update! I really need to get back to work on all these stories I swear.

This chapter in particular is not a continuation of the previous one (although that one is in the works as we speak) but this is the first one that DIRECTLY connects with Sins and an Absolution. In my head, it takes place right after the last updated chapter with Jasmine's interaction with Marluxia and Jasmine's mental battle with what happened. I originally wanted to put this in as a regular chapter but I decided to focus on Miss Silva for the time being seeing as she's the more dominant one.

In any case, I want to thank those who read, those who faved, followed, and alerted and give a shoutout to the **reviewers animechick247, Sayonara Yasashii Akumu** and **Sookdeo**. Thank you guys so much! Tell me what you all thought of this last chapter and look for a new update of one of my stories this week. Take care!


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